Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart/Brackley, Germany/United Kingdom, Jun 04, 2010

Formula One returns to Canada next weekend with the race held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal back on the calendar after a one-year absence. The Canadian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 13 June and will be the eighth round of the 2010 World Championship and the 41st Formula One race to be hosted in Canada.


NICO ROSBERG
“Montreal is a great race venue and I always like to get there a few days early to get used to the time difference and have the chance to relax. The city really comes alive for the Grand Prix weekend and the atmosphere is fantastic so I’m pleased that we’re heading back there again this season. The circuit is technically challenging and fun to drive with the very long straight combined with short and slow corners. Our Mercedes-Benz engine will certainly be a big help on the main straight. We will have some further upgrades for the race weekend and the fact that the circuit characteristics are quite different from Istanbul Park makes me go there with high hopes. I think we might just put in a great result.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“Canada is definitely one of the places on the Formula One calendar which everyone is keen to visit, myself included of course. I have always had nice weekends in Montreal and enjoyed flying over to North America. I will combine this trip with some days off and I am sure that once I enter the paddock, I will very much be looking forward to starting the race weekend. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is all about top speed so we have worked very hard on this, especially as we know that we are not right at the top in that area. However I am convinced that we will be able to get the best out of our package.”

ROSS BRAWN
“Looking back at our last race in Turkey, the team and drivers performed well throughout the weekend to achieve our highest points score of the season however we are simply not yet quick enough. We know the solution, the continuation of our hard work and application, and we will keep pushing until we are back to competing right at the front of the field. Looking ahead, we are delighted to be returning to Canada next week and the race is always one of the most popular weekends on the calendar with the city of Montreal putting on a great show. This year will be no exception and we hope that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve produces its usual standard of exciting racing and the weekend is a success for our sport in the important North American market. The circuit is an interesting one from an engineering perspective and should be a track where our slow to medium speed performance, good braking stability and strong engine performance will be an asset.”

NORBERT HAUG
“First of all, it is great news that the Canadian Grand Prix is back on the Formula One calendar in 2010. This is a very unique event on the Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal where the Olympic Games took place in 1976. The track is very different to the purpose-built circuits and requires high-speed, very good braking and of course strong engine power. Our team has achieved 100 points in the seven races so far this season which is roughly one-third of the points available if you do an absolutely perfect job. We are certainly not where we want to be yet, namely in a position to challenge for victories on a regular basis, however we are dedicated and have a very good spirit to achieve our targets. It is difficult to predict where we could end up in Canada but we will certainly try as hard as we can.”

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